Play With Me
by Koala75
Summary: There's a killer at the Palm Woods, and you'll never guess who. Nothing is safe and everyone is a suspect. Will they figure it out before it's too late, or will the killer get away with it all?
1. And So It Begins

**Author's Note: Hey, what's up everyone? Okay, this story is an experiment of mine. It was inspired by the song "Play With Me" by ICP. That, and Christina (i.e. christinainwonderland) has this blog on Tumblr called "big-time-genre-swaps". There's a link on my profile - just click it and look at all the different lights to see BTR in! This story is under suspense. Chapters will be updated a day earlier there for anyone who cares, so go follow! Anyway, yes, it is a bit different, but that's the point of genre swaps! Give me some feedback! Please, review and tell me what you think!**

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><p>"Your left! LEFT! God damn it, you tool!"<p>

"Kendall! Chill. Jesus Christ…"

"OH! Who won that? I did! OWNED!"

Katie leaped up from the couch, doing a victory dance as the words 'Player one wins' blinked on the screen. Kendall tossed his controller aside, rolling his eyes. He was never a good loser, but when it came to his competitive streak against Katie, it took on a whole new level. Logan watched the siblings play incredulously, somewhat glad he was an only child. Kendall reset the game, picking up Katie's controller and pushing his to her.

"Rematch. I got a bitch team; that wasn't fair." he demanded. Logan's eyes widened and he shook his head as he chuckled. Kendall was ridiculous when it came to games - even moreso than Carlos, which was definitely saying something. Finding the bickering between the two distracting, Logan stood to leave for the pool.

"You've been playing for three hours," Logan stated before walking to the door. He paused when his hand was on the doorknob, and he turned to look back at Kendall. "You two should find a more… I dunno, active thing to compete in. You know they say violent video games can lead to violent behaviors." Giving Kendall a final grin, he opened the door. Behind him, he could hear Katie and Kendall already chatting about what he said.

"He's right. We need something more challenging. Raise the stakes…" Katie's voice faded as Logan walked down the hall, and he chuckled again at how intense the two could get.

As he headed to the pool and found an empty table to read his latest medical magazine, Logan saw James and Carlos standing in front of the Jennifers. Since their arrival at the Palm Woods, the two had been trying to hook up with the girls, but were never successful. The Jennifers never did anything without each other, so Logan had to doubt that his friends would get anywhere with them today. Focusing on the magazine again, he flipped the page, finishing the article. It was an interesting piece on genetics, and he was enthralled by it.

"Hey! Logan!" Camille shouted, running towards him. Logan peered over his magazine, seeing the eager brunette coming his way. He gave her a smile, and observed the costume she wore. It was, oddly enough, the most normal she'd ever had. She wore jeans, and a white shirt. The only off thing about it were the blood stains. Noticing that he was staring, Camille explained. "I'm auditioning for a part in Stab 4. You remember that series, right? They're finally making a new one." She seemed pleased with the idea, and Logan couldn't think of a better part for her. Something that needed the extremities Camille could provide was definitely a horror film.

"Sounds cool. I hope you get-" Logan was cut off by the sound of his phone beeping, and immediately he recognized the ring tone. Glancing apologetically at Camille, he pulled out his phone, opening the text message. Kelly had sent it; Gustavo needed him in the studio. "Oh!" A broad grin stretched across his face, and he stood up. "Sorry, Camille. Kelly needs me to go down to the studio and record some solos for our new song!" As sorry as he was for having so little time to talk with Camille lately, he was excited about getting more parts in songs. The entire process of making new music was enjoyable to him, and he was happy to have his own time in the studio. Rolling up his magazine and tucking it in his back pocket, Logan prepared to head off, when James and Carlos bolted to him.

"Logie! Buddy! Hey, we need a favor." James announced, his expression hopeful. Carlos had an extra bounce in his step, and behind them, the Jennifers were approaching. Logan instantly knew where this was going. "Dude, we got a yes from the Jennifers. We just need a third guy to go out with the… Uh, that last Jennifer. Not the blonde, or the one with curly hair, but that last one. You know? You and Camille are still broken up, right?" Staring at his friend skeptically, Logan shook his head.

"I can't. Kelly and Gustavo need me at the studio to record solos. Just go without the last Jennifer! Those girls need some time apart." he suggested, shrugging. In all honesty, he wasn't exactly attracted to any of the Jennifers. They were pretty girls, but they were over the top, and too snobby for his liking. James rolled his eyes, and Carlos' goofy grin faded slightly. "Sorry, guys." With that, Logan headed off. He was prepared to head back to the apartment and grab the keys to his recently purchased car (which was a reward from his parents for finally obtaining his drivers license), but figured the least he could do to make up for not going with James and Carlos was let them use the car. He could just as easily take the bus. Sending James a text, Logan notified him that the car was his and Carlos' for the night, and he left for the bus stop.

Camille passed Logan as he departed, and waved goodbye as she walked in the opposite direction. She was heading up to her apartment to gather more props for the audition, and when she reached her room, the door was ajar. Her eyebrow raised, because she knew her father had gone golfing with some of his friends. He wasn't due home for another hour. Pushing the door open, she poked her head inside.

"Dad? Dad, are you here?" Camille called out, scanning the living room. No answer. Cautiously, she walked further into the apartment, slowly treading towards her room. That door was open too. The fear she'd been acting out for the audition was now real, and she desperately wanted to turn and flee. However, her legs wouldn't let her. There was a thirst to find out what was going on. Someone had broken in. Were they still there? Her knees felt as stable as jell-o, and when she entered her room, she found it was empty. Scattered across the floor were her props, and the chest she kept them in was open. "What the hell?" Nearing the chest, she sifted through what was still inside.

_Oh…_ Camille thought, suddenly relieved. There were only a couple masks missing. Yes, she had been robbed, but it had happened before - not to her, but to a few other residents. Carlos' father had been visiting that day, and he discovered that Lightning the Wonder Dog was the culprit. That was the most logical explanation for all of it. She knew everyone at the Palm Woods. Stealing from each other was the last thing on anyone's mind. Rolling her eyes at the fear that now seemed silly, Camille picked up her props and shoved them back in the chest. She grabbed her script from her bed, and opened her closet, searching the top shelf for the prop she'd come for.

Feeling the prop in her grasp, Camille pulled it down, blowing the dust off. It was a plastic knife - something she knew she'd eventually find a use for. Her father always discouraged the prop-shopping sprees she went on, and when she brought home the fake weapon, this disapproval only deepened. However, now that she had some use for it, her father was bound to grow at least a little less apprehensive. Closing the door to her room, she picked up one of the spare keys to the apartment, this time locking it as she left. Trotting down the stairs to the first floor, Camille was aiming to rehearse by the pool. She passed a few familiar faces in the lobby - Katie was walking through the lobby with a checker board, Guitar Dude strumming a new melody - when she bumped into Jennifer Hale, the third Jennifer. Her eyes were rimmed with pink, and she seemed to be holding back her tears.

"Jennifer, hey, are you alright?" Camille reached out, placing her hands on Jennifers' shoulders. Jennifer sniffed and wiped her eye, nodding. "What happened? You know what, come on, we'll go to my apartment and grab some tea." Though the Jennifers always put up a fiercely tough façade, they were still girls. Camille knew that well; she could remember when they were their own people instead of a package deal.

Back inside her apartment, Camille led Jennifer to the kitchen. She took a seat, still wiping the persisting dampness that blurred her vision. While Camille heated the tea, Jennifer finally explained what happened.

"The other Jennifers - they've never done anything without me, so for them to just go on a double date and not even care that I'm all alone…" she hiccupped, covering her face as her emotions got the best of her. Camille shook her head, sitting adjacent from Jennifer and consolingly patting her back.

"Jen, you never needed them bef-" Camille's words of comfort were cut short. The two girls jumped, startled by the loud bang that came from the other room. Camille looked down the hallway, seeing it was empty. Again, the eerie feeling she'd felt earlier crept into her mind. Shaking her head, she reasoned something had simply fallen. It wouldn't be the first time. "Sorry, let me just… I'll be right back." She gave Jennifer a sheepish smile, leaving the kitchen and walking to the bathroom. The light was on, which didn't shock Camille. It wasn't ever really turned off. What made Camille freeze, and stare in shock, was the clown mask that rested in the sink - one of the props she had believed to be stolen. The mirror was broken, and shards of glass littered the counter.

Someone was in the house.

Gulping, Camille darted down the hall, calling out to Jennifer. Skidding in front of the entrance to the kitchen, she opened her mouth to call Jennifer again, but immediately her mouth went dry. Jennifer's mouth was covered by a hand that wore black gloves to match its' black pants and sweatshirt. The figure had their hoodie covering their hair, and their face was covered with the second item Camille thought was taken from her. It was a doll mask, now cracked. Whoever it was, they held Jennifer's face up with one hand, and a bloodstained butcher knife in the other. There was a thin, red line on Jennifer's throat, and blood began to seep out of it. Her eyes were wide, etched with the final emotion she was ever going to feel. Fear.

Tilting their head to the side, the figure stepped away from Jennifer, letting her body slide out of the chair and onto the ground. Camille felt her breath coming in fast, short waves, and her heartbeat accelerated. Her entire body trembled and she turned to run, but the figure was faster. As Camille wheeled around, she heard the swoosh in the air, and felt the sharp pain searing up her spine. Falling against the wall, she finally found her voice, and a horrified shriek escaped her lips. The masked assailant ripped the knife from her back, grabbing her hair and pulling her around.

Camille's screams echoed, but from the method actress queen, this was normal. No one would've suspected a cold dagger was sliding across her jugular, silencing her forever. Thrilled by the rush, her murder opened their eyes to make direct eye contact with her. The color, shape… She knew it well. What she didn't know, what she would never know… was _why_. Warm, sticky blood flooded from her throat, and her eyes rolled back.

As Camille was released by her killer, she slid to the floor, paralyzed with fear. Her blood drained out of her, and slowly, everything began to fade. She heard the front door open as the teapot squealed. Heavy footsteps slowly moved back into her kitchen. There was the click of the stove, then, nothing more.


	2. Blame Game

**Author's Note: *grin***

**Keep in mind... When I grin, it's _never_ a good sign.**

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><p>Typically, the Palm Woods wasn't buzzing with red and blue lights, accompanied by sirens and large crowds. Disorder and anarchy were barely being managed by the policemen that had arrived at the hotel and apartment complex. People were screaming. Some of them were about to faint, and others were shocked. Morbid fear was slowly spreading through the sea of people. No one knew what to do, or where to go. As surreal as the situation was, the fear was almost tangible.<p>

As Logan stepped off of the bus and neared the Palm Woods' entrance, he immediately realized something had happened. There were police swarming the area, trying to keep people back. Residents he recognized were on their phones, some of them weeping. A mother and her daughter, who Logan knew to be one of the actresses Camille competed with, were carrying their bags hurriedly towards a cab. Running a hand through his hair, Logan slowly walked into the Palm Woods. However, only a few steps in, he was stopped by one of the policemen.

"I'm sorry, son, we're not allowing anyone but residents in at the moment." the cop stated, his hand against Logan's chest as he held him back. The man seemed unsettled, as if he'd seen something that scared him worse than anything ever had before. Licking his lips, the cop let his hand fall back to his side.

"I _am_ a resident here. What- What's going on?" Logan questioned, staring around the lobby. On the sofas, he saw James and Carlos with the Jennifers, who appeared to be sobbing uncontrollably. Kendall was standing behind them, his arms folded over his chest and his face blank. James looked up, spotting Logan. His eyes suddenly widened, and a mixture of pity and sorrow filled them. Logan was confused by it, until he saw the paramedics coming out from the hallway. They were pulling along two body bags. The first was wheeled out without a single pause, but the second was stopped. Camille's father approached the paramedic, and words Logan couldn't make out were exchanged. Once they stopped talking though, Camille's father became rigid.

"You got lucky, kid," the cop that had stopped Logan finally answered, sighing heavily. "Two girls, about your age I guess, were murdered on the third floor. Tough break." Though he heard what the cop said, it took Logan a moment to let the statement sink in. Immediately, his sharp mind linked everything together. There was a murder, body bags were being carried out, and Camille's dad was now crying. Suddenly out of his body, Logan felt himself approaching the second gurney, and was close enough to see Camille's face when the paramedic unzipped the bag for her father.

Camille's skin had already been white, but the ghastly tone it hosted now made Logan's heart skip a beat. His hand slowly found his throat, carefully touching the skin. Camille's throat had once been smooth, as his was now - but not anymore. A deep gash ran over her jugular, and blood stained her pale skin. Her eyes were closed, and her face was stressed with fear - the last emotion she felt before dying. Logan's entire body trembled, and he felt a wave of nausea roll over him as he staggered back. His eyes were wide, but they weren't seeing as the paramedics took Camille away. Logan stood like a statue, frozen in a state of shock.

It couldn't have been true. There was no way this was happening. Just a couple hours ago, he'd left to sing solos like he would on any other day. On those days, he would come back, and Camille would talk to him about receiving or losing out on a part. She couldn't have been killed. That wasn't her throat he saw cut open. It just wasn't! It couldn't be…

Logan felt his eyes rolling back into his head, and his legs finally gave out. Immediately, Kendall ran to his friend, knowing it was futile to try getting to him before he hit the ground. James and Carlos hesitantly left the Jennifers, watching Kendall prop Logan up in his arms. The frail brunette wasn't out for long at all. His eyes cracked open almost instantly after he fell, but he still felt sick.

"Camille…" Logan breathed, staring at the space where her body had been just moments before. Her father had followed the paramedics out, but Logan could almost see the ghost of them there. Kendall helped Logan up, keeping firm hands on his shoulders to make sure he wouldn't fall. He knew Logan Mitchell was the softest out of all of the boys, and always the first to cry. Now, however, he was blank. He couldn't grasp the sudden news.

"Come on guys, we're going back to the apartment." Kendall ordered, leading Logan down the hall. James and Carlos looked back at the Jennifers, slowly approaching them. They had just lost a best friend. As bad as the boys were feeling about Camille, the Jennifers had to have felt worse.

"Text us if you need anything alright," James whispered, holding the curly haired Jennifer against him as she whimpered. Carlos held the other Jennifer, tucking her hair behind her ear and wiping the tear that rolled down her cheek.

"We really need to be with Logan right now, but we'll come right out for you if you really need us." Carlos assured them, kissing his Jennifer on the forehead. The Jennifers looked to each other, swallowing whatever sobs that were trying to surface. They understood. Feeling the loose permission to leave, James and Carlos ran after their friends.

Upon entering apartment 2J, the boys saw Mrs. Knight and Katie on the couch. Mrs. Knight's head snapped up when she heard the door open, and instantly she calmed down when she saw it was only her boys. James closed the door behind him as Mrs. Knight nearly sprinted to them, gripping Kendall in a tight hug. Once she let him go, she looked to Logan, knowing he had to be suffering. The look on his face said it all. She embraced him in a careful hug, but received little response. Karen could see he wasn't ready to talk about anything just yet. Carlos and James stared at Logan with pity, both of them reaching out to give Mrs. Knight her hug. She cleared her throat once they'd all pulled apart, and all of them knew what was coming next.

"Listen, boys, I know this is tough for you. I know Camille… was close to all of you," Karen began, minding what she said. The boys shifted uncomfortably around Logan at the mention of Camille, wondering when he would explode. When he didn't make a sound, Karen continued. "So I really don't want to be too strict with you boys. However, given the circumstance, I really don't know how I feel about staying at the Palm Woods." James, Kendall, and Carlos knew their mouths dropped before they could do anything to stop it. Seeing they would try to interrupt, Mrs. Knight quickly explained. "You boys are almost eighteen though. I can't really make this decision for you at this point. So what I'm offering is this: Logan, James, and Carlos - you boys call your mothers and tell them what's going on. If you want to stay, you tell them that. If you all do stay… then I don't think you should leave the apartment for unnecessary reasons. Work and school, that's it. At least until the police have found whoever killed Camille and Jennifer." The boys weren't going to whine about it, because they knew it was for their safety, but they had to wonder how much effect it would have.

Though Logan, James, and Carlos knew their mothers would be reluctant to let them stay, they didn't want to return to Minnesota. L.A. was their new home, and even though there was now a murderer on the loose, they weren't going to let that scare them. If anything, they were angry. Camille and Jennifer had been taken from them by whoever did this, and now everyone was on high alert. After a moment, they nodded to Mrs. Knight, signifying that they understood her terms. They didn't like it, but they were going to accept it.

Without saying another word, Logan stoically left the living room, retiring to the bedroom he shared with Kendall. His mind had been blissfully blank since he fainted, but when he looked at his desk and locked his eyes on the photos of he and Camille, his thoughts were thrown into overdrive. The last few moments he'd spent with Camille were wasted. He could've said something more meaningful. He could've done anything, but he acted as if the time didn't matter. Logan didn't treat every moment like it was their last, and for that, he was a terrible person. Guilt racked him, and the agony tore away at the defenses he tried putting around his heart. He just couldn't do it. Approaching the desk, he stared down at the photos, knowing he would never see Camille smile so brightly again.

"FUCK!" Logan screamed, his arms wrapping around everything on his desk and swiping it off onto the floor. The pencil cup flew across the room, hitting the wall with a loud crack before falling on the floor. Everyone outside of the room heard him scream, and they all heard the sound of shattering glass. Kendall was the first to run into the room, seeing Logan staggering back, the broken glass frame crunching under his feet. He was trembling, trying with all of his might to hold back his tears.

"Logan… Logan, dude -" Kendall couldn't finish his statement. He didn't even know what he was aiming to say, but it wouldn't have mattered. Logan sank to his knees, his palms pressed hard against his eyes. A sob escaped him, and as Kendall kneeled by his friends' side, James and Carlos watched from the doorway. They slowly neared the boys, but knew nothing needed to be said. Nothing would fix this. Camille was dead, and Logan was mourning. "I'm sorry, Logan." Kendall mumbled, trying to console him. It was a futile effort, but he had to try.

They were all going to have to try.

The day after the murders, the boys woke up to the first bits of rain they'd ever seen in California. It was almost eerie how perfect the timing was, but none of them said anything. Logan refused to eat breakfast and lunch, but his friends managed to coax him into taking a few bites of the chicken they had for dinner. The Jennifers texted James and Carlos, informing them all that Jennifer Hale and Camille had been taken back to their hometowns for their burials. Neither of them knew if it would be okay to tell Logan, so thinking he had a right to know, they told him as kindly as they could. He didn't cry again, but instead locked himself away in his room for the rest of the night.

Day two came and went without any real significance. Katie stared out of the window all day, seeing that no one was out by the pool. Everyone who was still living at the Palm Woods after the murders, especially the child stars living under their parents' rules, were in hiding. At least, that was how it seemed. Maybe they were driven into their locked apartments by the fear nagging at them.

After the fourth day of being indoors, Palm Woods' residents slowly began appearing outside. There were only two people by the pool at first, then six, then fourteen. Slowly, the life was coming back. As the week wore on, the fear began to fade. However, it didn't disappear completely. Even with singing, acting, and dancing careers trying to be started, there was still talk about the murders. Who had done it? That was all the gossip at the Palm Woods.

"Boys, Katie!" Mrs. Knight called, sitting on one of the stools in the kitchen. She looked perplexed, as if what she had to tell them took a lot of consideration. The boys stood around, listening intently. Katie was seated on the couch, hugging her knees to her chest. "There's a lot of people outside lately… and I know you've all been getting antsy."

Kendall, Carlos, James, and Logan perked up, knowing where Mrs. Knight had to be going with the statement. Each of them had experienced their own moments of annoyance, anger, misery, and anxiety during the week. They were ready to go out beyond Rocque Records and recording sessions. Even Logan was showing hints of hope. He'd gotten much better in the last day, and the progress was something all of his friends were grateful for. Katie seemed interested as well. Though she still had Fox News, it was difficult not to be able to gamble with the Palm Woods' staff.

"So new rules: I'll let you boys out after school and your recording time. I want you home by at least eight, and if something happens, you _call_. No excuses. None of you will go out alone. Stick together, at least in groups of two. No exceptions, okay? Keep an eye out for each other, got that?" Mrs. Knight established, her arms folded over her chest. Her lips pursed into a thin line, and she eyed her boys, hoping they wouldn't object. Though the rules were somewhat strict, it was better than what they had to work with for the past week. Exchanging glances, the boys nodded to each other, then to Mrs. Knight.

"That sounds reasonable, mom. We promise we'll be careful!" Kendall called over his shoulder as he and the boys bounded out of the apartment. They all skidded to a stop in the lobby, basking in the refreshing freedom. Though the memory of seeing Camille on the stretcher was still in their minds, it was easier to push away now. They couldn't and wouldn't dwell on it.

Eager and amiable, the boys walked out to the pool, smiling broadly upon feeling the warm California heat on their skin. They sat around the fire pit as they normally would, not noticing until they were settled how quiet everything was. People were outside and grouped together, but no one was laughing. Not one smoothie was being sipped. The boys didn't see scripts, or sheet music anywhere. They saw the other Palm Woods' residents, whispering and pointing at each other. Some of the points were even directed at them. They were confused by this, and they were about to ask anyone close enough what was going on, when Jennifer Warren approached them. Her curly brown hair bounced on her shoulders as usual, but her fierce expression was gone.

"Hey guys." Jennifer stated, sitting beside James. He put his arm around her comfortingly, knowing she was still devastated by Jennifer Hale's death. Jennifer looked around at all of the people, having noticed that the boys were confused by the creepy silence. "Everyone's pretty freaked out. They all wanna know who did it… Some people say it was the C.S.I. kids, and there's a rumor going around that it could've been Bitters. He was questioned by the police three days ago, and he's on leave now." As Jennifer explained the situation, Kendall, Carlos, James, and Logan let the information sink in. It was so strange to have everything so suddenly fall out of balance. Nothing was right anymore.

Logan stared at Jennifer, biting his lip. She never once talked to them without Carlos instigating it. Whenever something was going on, and the boys needed answers, Camille would pop up and fill them in. Now it was just Jennifer. Licking his lips, Logan looked away, fighting the sorrow that wanted to resurface. He'd been doing good, and he didn't want to ruin it. Getting passed Camille's death wasn't going to be easy unless he worked at it, and that's what he was doing. Carlos could see the turmoil his friend was in, just by looking at his face. He wanted to say something. Anything. However, nothing came to mind. Just as he opened his mouth to break the silence, his phone went off.

"Oh! It's Jennifer. She wants me to come upstairs," Carlos announced, looking at the message. "Her mom had to go grocery shopping, and she doesn't want to be alone." He stood up, tucking his phone back into his pocket. James removed his arm from around Jennifer, gripping Carlos' wrist.

"Hey, you need me to go up there with you? Mrs. Knight didn't want us traveling alone." he reminded Carlos, letting go of his wrist. Carlos shrugged, then shook his head. James and the others seemed apprehensive of his decision, until Jennifer spoke up.

"I walked around the hotel a couple times by myself. I think Carlos can make it upstairs." she insisted, giving Carlos a sympathetic look. He returned her expression with a smile, waving as he jogged off. James, relaxed once again, put his arm back around Jennifer's shoulders.

**Upstairs**, Jennifer Carter lie on her bed, her sleep mask protecting her eyes from light. She texted Carlos just a few minutes before, but even he couldn't make it to the fifth floor in that time. The elevators were slower than slugs, and the stairs were quite a feat to manage, even for the energetic young man. She sighed, trying to ease herself into relaxation. Both her and the other Jennifer had spent time apart these past few days, feeling increasingly guilty over the death of their third Jennifer. Had they not caved in and gone on that date, perhaps she would still be alive. Jennifer bit her lip, shoving the thoughts from her head. She couldn't cry anymore. She was supposed to be strong.

For a while longer, she lay on her bed, struggling against her thoughts. Jennifer was so consumed by them, it took her a minute to notice the scent wafting through her nostrils. It was smoke. Thrown off by the smell, she sat up, her sleep mask still on. Did her mother get back already? Was she burning something?

"Mom?" Jennifer called out, pushing up her sleep mask. Her eyes immediately watered. A thin layer of smoke was filling her room, and when she looked to her door, she could see why. The bottom of the wooden frame was on fire, and it was eating up the exit of her room. "Oh, shit!" Jennifer leaped out of her bed, stunned by what she was seeing. She was paralyzed with shock, and it took all of her willpower to move.

Scanning the room, Jennifer grabbed the pillows on her small sofa, running to the growing flames and trying to beat them out. All to easily though, the flames caught on to the fabric of the pillows, emitting more smoke from them as they burned. Jennifer dropped them, backing away from the heat. It was spreading wildly fast, and she couldn't stop the scream that left her lips. However, as she inhaled for another breath, all she could get was smoke. Gasping for air and coughing, Jennifer began to panic. She looked to the window, but it was too close to the fire.

Meanwhile, Carlos had finally reached the fifth floor. He was jogging to Jennifer's apartment, eager to see her. Once he reached 5G, he knocked on the door, surprised when it opened from the force of his knock. It hadn't been closed right, apparently. Poking his head in, Carlos expected to see Jennifer waiting for him. Instead, he saw smoke clouding the room. He saw the wide window that resembled the one in his own apartment, and he saw the fire burning away at one of the doors. The smoke alarms in the apartment were shattered on the floor.

"Oh my God! Jennifer! JENNIFER!" Carlos yelled, running into the apartment. He jumped over the couch, keeping a safe distance from the fire. On the other side of the door he could hear Jennifer's coughs, sending his frantic state spiraling further.

As that went on, Kendall, James, and Logan had finally decided to breach the silence around the pool. Seeing everyone glaring at one another, and whispering as people passed them, was enough to set Kendall off. He didn't like that sort of thing, and he wasn't about to let it go on.

"Hey! Everyone!" Kendall shouted, standing up on his seat. "Look, I know it's scary. We lost two people we all knew and cared about. But we can't just go around saying all this stuff about each other. Look around! Have any of us ever seemed like the type to pull this shit? No! We can't let the killer have that satisfaction!" Some of the people around the boys were stealing glances at each other, and some were hesitantly nodding. Though, not everyone agreed.

"I say it was you, Knight." a voice declared. Owen Greer, a somewhat new resident at the Palm Woods, stood up and glared at Kendall. His angry eyes shifted from the blonde, to James and Logan. "Or maybe it was one of you. None of you were seen when it happened. Why should we trust you?" Upon hearing this, the people who had just been starting to agree with Kendall became distrusting all over again. Kendall frowned, clenching his fists.

"He was with his sister. They were playing video games!" Logan quickly shouted, standing up for his friend. One of the girls with Owen shook her head, also jumping up.

"I saw Katie out here a little while after you came out! He could've been anywhere by then!" the girl shouted, her shrill voice ringing out. Suddenly, everyone was adding in their own comments. Murmurs rolled around the groups in waves, and everyone was questioning the credibility of everyone else.

"She was taking a checkerboard back to her apartment! She said her and Kendall were going to play!" another girl objected, standing up to Owen's friend. Owen shook his head, storming over to stand in front of Kendall.

"What about those two? What were they doing, hm?" Owen demanded. Everyone around the pool quieted down considerably, wanting to watch the standoff. Jennifer scowled, taking the few small steps to Owen and pushing him back. "James and Carlos were on a double date with me and Jennifer."

"And I was recording solos at Rocque Records." Logan added quickly, crossing his arms. Owen's argument was left invalid, but the boy wasn't going to back down. He turned his glare back on Kendall, and the boys refused to look away.

"I still think it was you, Knight." Owen growled. Just as Kendall's last name left Owen's lips, there was a loud crash. Some of the girls screamed, startled by the noise, and everybody was searching for the source of it.

"Oh, my God!" Jennifer shouted, pointing up at one of the apartments. The boys followed her stare, seeing a broken apartment window. There was smoke billowing out of it. "That's Jennifer's apartment!" All of the people around the pool were screaming now. Kendall, Logan, and James stood still, not affected by anything other than the broken window. They'd looked up quick enough to see what had broken it, and their eyes followed it until they heard the sickening thump against the pavement. The three boys bolted to the other side of the pool, shoving their way through the crowd that was gathering around. Once they made it to the front of the mob, they stared down at the body.

Carlos' body.

They knew the moment they saw it falling through the air that it was him, but the boys couldn't believe it. Even if it _was_ his purple jacket. Even if it _was_ his frame. It couldn't have been Carlos. But it was. His body was facing up, and Logan could instantly tell from how his legs were sprawled that he'd shattered his spine. His neck was broken as well, and it was obvious to everyone from the way his head was angled. A small line of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and around the boys, everyone was running and screaming. James fell forward on his hands and knees, staring at his friend.

The _one time_ Carlos wasn't wearing his helmet…


	3. Too Much To Handle

**Author's Note: I have to admit, this is my favorite chapter. Let me know if you agree. Also, there's now a poll on my profile: If you have any guesses as to who the killer might be, go ahead and vote! Next week might be the last update, so hurry! Also, I deeply apologize for how late this chapter is. Things kinda got in the way. With that said, enjoy chapter three.**

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><p>Most of the teens outside were gathered around Carlos, but those who weren't had fled back to their apartments. As it had when Camille and Jennifer's bodies were found, the hysteria began to rise. Shock rolled over the crowd in waves. Logan, James, and Kendall could hear screams, and once again there were people crying. No one knew what to do, especially not the boys. All anyone did was stand and stare - no one could gather their senses long enough to call the police. The sudden murder was too unreal. Carlos' legs were sprawled out at different angles, and his chin tilted up. Blood was beginning to seep along the pavement, as if trying to reach out to the crowd.<p>

Carlos Garcia, the sweetest boy in Big Time Rush, was lying on the pavement, dead.

James gripped his hair in his hands, squeezing his eyes shut. Logan and Kendall both saw a tear roll down his cheek, and as he opened his eyes, more threatened to fall. His bottom lip quivered, and even though Logan and Kendall wanted to explode, they knew James was taking it the hardest. They had to hold themselves together until James was okay enough to see them cry. Angrily, James stood and kicked the chair beside him, sending it toppling to the ground.

"I can't take this," he gasped, nearly choking on his words. He sniffed, and after the first time, he couldn't stop the whimpers that came out every few moments. "I know this sounds lame, but I really need my mom right now. I can't… He's not fucking dead. He can't… FUCK, CARLOS!" James wheeled around, staring at the body of his best friend. It would've been different if there was a smile, but there wasn't. There was pure terror. That was the last thing James and the boys would ever see on Carlos' face. James crouched down, shaking as he cried. Logan stayed by his side, patting his back. "I shouldn't have let him go alone. Mrs. Knight said we had to stay together… I fucking let him go alone! ALONE, LOGAN!"

"James, we… I -" Logan tried to console his friend, but James wasn't about to listen. He jumped up, his fists clenching at his side. Kendall locked eyes with Logan, neither of them knowing what to do. James was wiping away any tears that threatened to fall, and he glared down at Carlos' body. Different emotions were ruling him at once, and he didn't know how to cope. He was scared. He was in pain. All he wanted was his best friend back, and for the nightmare to end. Camille wasn't dead. Jennifer wasn't dead. Carlos definitely wasn't dead. James wanted _that_ world to be real again.

"Still think it was Knight?" a voice behind the boys muttered to Owen. Kendall peered over his shoulder, throwing a glare at the speaker and catching Owen's gaze. For a moment, the boys didn't break eye contact. Then, the sound of police sirens echoed from the other side of the hotel building, and Owen looked away.

Logan was still kneeling beside Carlos, his eyes wide as he stared at the body of his best friend. Just minutes ago, the boy was excited and so full of energy. Now he was just a body. Logan's eyes scanned over Carlos, wincing when he saw the blood still seeping out from under his sides. However, when Logan looked closer, the blood wasn't coming from underneath Carlos' body. It was coming from a wound in his abdomen. Overwhelmed with the realization, he fell back, scraping his hand as he tried to keep himself steady. Behind him, Logan could hear shouts from policemen, and feel their footsteps vibrating in the pavement.

Suddenly aware of Logan's change in behavior, Kendall took his arm and pulled him up. He stared down questioningly at Logan, but the brunette seemed too frightened to speak. Around them, the police and paramedics shoved past them, ushering them back to give themselves room. James struggled against the first cop, refusing to look away from Carlos. Another cop tried pulling him away, but James shouted something unintelligible, pushing the man off of him. Quickly, Kendall and Logan intervened, taking both of James' arms. His wild glare landed on them, softening only a little when he realized who they were.

"I can't…" James groaned, ripping his arms from their grasp and disappearing into the crowd. Logan protested, aiming to follow him, but Kendall gripped his shoulder.

"Logie… We have to tell my mom," he stated, his eyes still following after James. When Kendall didn't get a reply, he continued. "I wanna go after him too. We - I have to tell Mom." Logan hesitated, his eyes darting back to Carlos' body, which they were now covering with a sheet. The moment the white sheet touched Carlos, the blood began to soak through.

"Kendall," Logan whined, his voice no louder than a whisper. His throat was tight, and his mouth was completely dry. Tugging on Kendall's sleeve, he reluctantly led him away from Carlos. As they got away from the crowd, Logan licked his lips. "Someone stabbed him. The cops are bound to see it, but… Kendall, he was stabbed. Someone stabbed him, and… and used that force to push him out of the window." Though he was saying it more to confirm the findings for himself, Kendall hadn't looked close enough to see the puncture in Carlos' body. His eyes were wide, and his head whipped around to see the now blood-stained sheet that covered his friend.

Neither boy moved. The crowd began to disperse, but Kendall and Logan remained still. Only when they remembered Mrs. Knight and Katie did they tear themselves away from the scene. Stricken with a grief he couldn't show, Kendall gripped Logan's shoulder, leading him away from the pool and to their apartment. The two were greeted with an eerie silence as they opened the apartment door. Then they heard the bathroom door swinging open. Startled, Logan yelped, but Kendall shook his head. Katie stepped out of the bathroom, her hair damp from the shower she'd just taken.

"Katie, where's mom?" Kendall asked quickly, his tone urgent. Katie's eyebrow rose, but after deciphering the expressions on Logan and Kendall's faces, she knew something was wrong.

"She went to lay down after you guys left. What happened?" Katie demanded, her eyes wide with worry. Kendall moved past her, leaving Logan to answer the questions while he rapped his knuckles against his mothers' closed door.

"There was… another murder," Logan struggled to admit, images of Carlos falling from the window and lying lifelessly on the pavement flashing through his mind. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to shove the horrid pictures out of his thoughts.

"What? What is it?" Mrs. Knight gasped, clearly just waking up from her nap. Her bedroom door flew open, and she ran out, bumping into her son. Kendall stared down at his mom, the pain visible in his eyes. He didn't want to be the one saying it, but he knew he had to. He couldn't just let a paramedic or cop do it. His mother had to be told by him. Carlos was _his_ best friend. Mrs. Knight looked to Logan, seeing how defeated he was, then to Katie. Her daughter was worried. _Worried_. As soon as she noticed the worry in Katie's face, she noticed that James and Carlos were no where to be seen. Her heart sank, and she feared the worst. "Kendall Donald Knight, what happened?" Her voice was firm, even though her body was beginning to tremble. Before Kendall could say anything, there was a knock at the door. Logan saw neither Mrs. Knight nor Kendall were aiming to answer it, so he approached the door.

"Mom," Kendall began, working hard to keep his voice steady. Logan opened the door, wincing when he saw the police. Mrs. Knight saw them too, so Kendall quickly broke the news to her. "Carlos is dead."

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><p><em><strong>Multiple<strong>__ unread messages were awaiting Jo Taylor when she woke up from her nap. She hadn't meant to fall asleep, but somehow it took hold of her. Rubbing her eyes, she yawned as she lifted her phone, looking through the messages. All of them were from Kendall. She hadn't seen him since Camille and Jennifer were found dead. Her father was one of the few parents that planned on keeping their kids inside until the murderer was caught. She was happy to have word from Kendall now, though._

_However, when she read through the first few messages, Jo couldn't stop the gasp that escaped her lips. Carlos and another Jennifer had been killed. Jennifer had been trapped in a fire and suffocated, while Carlos was pushed from a five-story window. Jo didn't know what to respond with. The situation was passed condolence. She knew how much Carlos meant to Kendall. The four boys were one, and losing Carlos was too unbelievable, even for her._

_Jo pushed her hair back, trying to think of something to say to Kendall. She stole a quick glance at her door, making sure it was still closed. On the desk beside it was a plate with a small piece of cake, courtesy of her dad. He'd been in to check on her, from the looks of it. She contemplated going out to thank him, but shook her head. First, she would think of something to say to Kendall. Skimming through the rest of the messages, Jo swung her legs over the edge of the bed. She stood, opening a new message to send._

_Before Jo could take a step forward, she felt a prick on her ankle. Wincing, her eyes darted down, seeing no insect, or any object near her foot. There was a bizarre tingling sensation surging through her leg, but she laughed, shaking her head and assuring herself it was all in her head. Bending to inspect the source of discomfort, Jo tried lifting her ankle to get a better view. When her leg wouldn't move, though, the idea that she was just imagining things became harder to believe._

_Trying to clear her head, Jo moved her other leg, but it too was losing feeling. She opened her mouth to yelp, but nothing other than a sharp gasp came out. Falling forward, Jo hit the ground with a soft thud. The tingling sensation was trailing up her spine, and Jo panicked as she attempted to drag herself forward. Her head sank to the floor when her neck began to tingle, and the feeling quickly reached her elbows. Desperately, Jo clawed at the ground to pull herself to the door, breaking off and bending back pieces of her nails with the force she used._

_Behind her, Jo could feel movement, but as hard as she tried, she couldn't look around. Her heart nearly stopped when a pair of hands lowered in front of her face, covering her mouth with a thick piece of duct tape. Jo watched the hands disappear above her head, and her eyes widened as she felt herself being turned. The figure that towered over her as she lie on her back was slender, dressed in nothing but black, and a large clown mask._

"_Hi, Jo," the figure greeted warmly. Jo could almost hear the smile in that distorted, robotic voice. The figure lifted up the syringe it had used on Jo's ankle, tilting its head and observing it. "I bet you're wondering what this is. It's very simple. Inside of this syringe, was a poison called curare. What it does… Well, I'm sure you can guess. It's used mainly by South American hunters to paralyze their prey. I almost went with etorphine. However, I wasn't sure how strong it would be, and depending on its' strength, one drop on your skin could kill you. I couldn't have that."_

_The figure tucked the syringe into a small case, and sat cross-legged beside Jo. Knowing Jo was watching, it carefully tugged a second syringe from the case. The liquid inside of the tube was clear, and there wasn't much of it. Tapping the needle, the figure returned its' focus to Jo. She would've been trembling with fear if she could've._

"_Letting etorphine kill you, would've taken away my chance to see the effects of __**this**__ poison firsthand. It happens to be my favorite," the figure began explaining. Jo's eyes followed the needle, completely blocking the clown mask out of her focus. "Have you ever heard of aconitine? It's one of the less talked about poisons, but it really does deserve more credit." The figure paused, observed the measurements on the syringe, lowering the needle down to Jo. "The effects are __**amazing**__, fast, and it'll kill you in less than ten minutes."_

_Upon hearing this, Jo whimpered. As she did, she realized she __**could**__ still make noise. She quickly tried to inhale a breath for a good scream. However, the moment her eyes gave away the determination, the figure stuck the needle into her neck and emptied the poison into Jo's bloodstream. She was silenced into shock for only a few moments, but those seconds made the difference. As soon as she felt the cold poison enter her body, her lips began to burn and itch. The burning stretched to her tongue, and she longed to bite away at the pain. Once more, Jo attempted to scream, but her throat had gone numb. Any noise she tried to make was soft and struggled, completely blocked by the tape._

"_While I see how many effects you feel, I also wanted to test what would kill you first. The poison," the figure stated, grabbing another object in the case. "Or blood loss." Jo saw the object shining in the light. It was a scalpel. She could feel the scream rising in her throat - it was so close to escaping. Then Jo coughed. It was a violent cough, and she could feel the bile in her mouth. As she vomited, the tape that constricted her mouth gradually was forced off, and Jo gasped for air. Her stomach churned and ached, but she couldn't make a sound. "Ah… more effects. A release of wastes." Before Jo could glare up at the masked figure, she felt a searing pain in her arm. Cold metal pierced through it too fast for her to comprehend, and as quickly as the left arm was penetrated, her right arm was stabbed._

_Blood flew out after the scalpel, squirting into the air and rapidly drowning Jo's arm. She coughed again, more vomit sliding down her chin and off of her throat. Tears welled up in her eyes, and as she viciously blinked them away, she locked eyes with the figure._

_They were eyes she knew well._

_Eyes she would never forget._

_Jo watched the figure stand, tucking away all the tools it had used. Her vision became blurry, and whether it was from blood loss or the poison, she would never know. Her heart wanted to race, but the poison had it slowed down to the point where it almost stopped._

_Within just another minute, it did._

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><p><strong>Mrs. Knight<strong> wept for a good hour before she could contact Carlos' mother, Sylvia. On the other line, the boys could hear Mrs. Garcia in hysterics. Mrs. Knight heard the phone clatter to the ground, and she heard the cries in Spanish, soon accompanied by shouts from Carlos' father. Both of them had known about the first two murders at the Palm Woods, and they had wanted their boy home, but he assured them he would be fine. They believed him, and now he was dead.

While Mrs. Knight tried to console Carlos' parents, Kendall and Logan were trying to contact James. He was still gone, and their concern only increased as time passed. Logan sent new messages after every call that went unanswered. He had his suspicions of where James could be, but the idea of a murderer being loose plagued his thoughts.

"I wanna go look for him." Kendall suddenly said, his voice penetrating the dead silence of the room. Mrs. Knight quickly looked up, her eyes widening. She met Kendall's determined gaze, desperately wanting to refuse permission. However, the determination in her sons' eyes was something she knew well. It would take more than just her concern and motherly control to keep him from leaving. Kendall could almost see the plethora of thoughts flash across his mothers' face, as could Logan, but that didn't change either boys' mind. Logan wanted to find James too. He wanted to know his friend was safe. "Mom, please…" Kendall's fist clenched around his phone.

Mrs. Knight looked to her son, then Logan. Both boys were stressed over the situation. They had just lost one of their brothers, after all. She closed her eyes, still hearing Carlos' mother and father on the other end of the line. She felt so guilty for their sons' death, and there was nothing she could really do. If James were in danger now, she wouldn't know what to do. Even so, she couldn't risk Logan and Kendall's safety either. She had almost objected to Katie locking herself in her room, out of fear that something could happen while she wasn't looking. Though she hadn't desired for Katie to see her crying, she didn't want her daughter alone, either. Letting the boys out of the apartment was too far of a stretch now.

"Kendall, no." she finally responded, her tone firm. Kendall's eyes widened, and he dropped his phone. The small clatter rang out through the room. "Keep calling him, and once I get off the phone with Sylvia, I'm calling the police." Mrs. Knight's words were final, and her authoritive tone made Logan flinch. He'd only heard it so many times. Kendall stood, frozen, glaring at his mother. Logan stared from him to Mrs. Knight, knowing that nothing good was coming.

"No? Are you… You're serious?" Kendall demanded, exasperated. Logan expected him to sound angry. Instead, Kendall sounded crippled and weak. Just as Logan was about to speak, Kendall's mood shifted. "Mom, I just lost my best fucking friend, and James is _alone_ out there! You want to call the cops? Look at what a **great** job they've done for us so far!" Pacing across the room angrily, Kendall tried to get his thoughts together. He didn't want to yell at his mom now, but he couldn't control himself. For hours he'd remained composed, hardly shedding tears for his fallen friend. He just couldn't keep it up.

"Kendall Knight, I won't tolerate you swearing in this house. I said you weren't leaving, and that's my decision. The police _will_ find James, if he isn't on his way home already. I'm not losing anyone else, Kendall. I won't - KENDALL!" Mrs. Knight shouted after her son, losing all of the anger that was in her voice almost instantly. Kendall had slammed his fist into the drywall, then turned on his heels and bolted for the door. He had disappeared into the hallway before his mother even finished screaming his name.

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><p><em><strong>James<strong>__, please text back! Kendall left, Mrs. Knight looks ready to cry again, and I'm losing my mind. We already lost Carlos. Please, just tell me you're okay. Tell me Kendall's with you! Say anything, man. - Logan_

Although he felt his phone vibrate on the drive back to the Palm Woods, James refused to look at whatever call or message was waiting for him. His clothes reeked of smoke, and his eyes were still a little bloodshot. He took another gulp of the cool liquid in the Heineken bottle (courtesy of his fake ID and the foolish bouncers at the club), and pulled into the parking lot, remaining seated after he stopped the car. The night was still somewhat young. It was only ten o'clock. He didn't want to go back to the apartment and face Kendall's mother. He didn't want to face anyone, which was why he pulled out his phone to text Jennifer Bingham, the last remaining Jennifer.

_Jen, I'm coming upstairs. Can't go home. Got you something. Unlock the door. - J man_

As soon as the message was sent, James stepped out of the car, locking it and shoving the keys in his pocket. His phone vibrated once he was inside of the building, and he opened the message as he walked into the elevator.

_Ok. - Jennifer_

James didn't think much of the short reply. His mind was preoccupied with other things. As the numbers above the elevator doors slowly crawled to three, James tucked away his phone and pulled two small pills from his pocket. He'd scored them at the club he ran to, eager to try them out. If anything would help him forget, it was this. Jennifer added to the mix would only make things better. She'd lost a friend too, after all.

The elevator beeped, and the doors opened, letting James out onto the third floor. He staggered out, the pills still clenched in his fist. Jennifer Bingham was eighteen, a year older than the other two Jennifer's, and lived on her own. For the past week, she'd been horrified of being alone, and James was finally going to take advantage of that. A hit of ecstasy with some James-charm, and Jennifer was as good as his.

Grinning smugly, James stopped at apartment 3B, turning the doorknob. As expected, it was unlocked. He pushed the door open, stepping into the dark living room. No lights whatsoever were on, and James felt along the walls for a switch. He'd swung the door shut behind him, enclosing himself in the darkness. For a moment he stumbled, smirking when he saw the flickering lights at the end of the hallway. Jennifer was probably watching TV. That had to mean she was relaxing.

Perhaps she was already in bed.

James followed the flickering lights, stopping once he was outside of Jennifer's room. She lie under her covers, and her back was to him. He could see her hair, and the top of her shoulder. From what he saw - rather, _didn't_ see - he could tell she wasn't dressed. James approached Jennifer, kneeling down and kissing her shoulder before pulling his shirt over his head.

"Babe, I got you a surprise. I think you'll really enjoy it." James whispered, moving Jennifer's hair back to kiss her neck. He sucked on her neck for only a second before realizing something. His lips were brushing not against her soft skin, but something wet. He tasted _blood_.

James leaped up, quickly stepping back. He flipped on the light switch, hesitantly stepping towards Jennifer yet again. Pulling her blanket off of her, James saw the large bloodstain on the mattress, and the blood that covered Jennifer's neck.

"Oh, FUCK!" James shouted, falling against the wall. He squeezed his eyes shut, unable to believe what he was seeing. All three Jennifer's were dead now. Gasping for breath, James bolted out of the bedroom, running into furniture as he tried to escape the apartment. "HELP! SOMEONE FUCKING HELP!"

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><p><strong>Kendall<strong> aimed to return to the sanctuary that was apartment 2J. He walked along the sidewalk, staying aware of his surroundings. Something moved along the bushes, and he was careful to check for anything worth reporting. He kept his head as level as possible, even though he'd failed to find James. As he rounded the corner, expecting to see the plain entrance of the building, he heard the sirens of an ambulance starting up.

"No…" Kendall breathed, running to the entrance just in time to see the ambulance driving off. There was one police car left, and someone was sitting in the backseat.

_They caught the killer?_ Kendall wondered, entering the building. The two police officers the car belonged to were standing inside, talking to someone. Kendall neared them, his heart stopping when he realized who the cops were talking to.

It was Logan and his mother.

Mrs. Knight was in tears, and Logan's lips were pressed in a thin line. The moment she saw Kendall, she gasped, pushing past the police and running to her son. She held on to Kendall, doing her best to keep from sobbing.

"Mom, what happened?" Kendall questioned, patting her back. He looked up at the policemen questioningly, then at Logan. Behind Logan, the elevator doors opened, and Katie ran forward. There was a look of fear on her face, and she was panting as if she'd run straight from the apartment without stopping.

"You weren't in the apartment! What's going o- Kendall!" Katie shouted, running to her brother. Mrs. Knight wrapped an arm around Katie, holding her daughter as close as she held Kendall.

"James was arrested." Logan announced, filling in both Kendall and Katie. Kendall's eyes widened, and he whipped his head around to look out at the police car. He could only see the front half from this angle, and he couldn't believe that the figure in the backseat had been James. He walked right by him.

"We found drugs in Jennifer's room, and there was alcohol on the kids' breath," one of the cops added, shaking his head. Mrs. Knight pulled away from Kendall, keeping Katie's shoulder in her grip. "We're taking him into custody to question an-"

The police officer couldn't finish talking.

Outside, everyone could hear James scream.

"OH SHIT!"

Immediately after hearing his cry, there was a flash of light, and the booming sound of an explosion. The glass of the front doors cracked, some of it shattering onto the floor. Outside, the police car had burst into flames, the hood flying off. The policemen sprinted outside, trying to block off Mrs. Knight. Logan, Kendall, and Katie were right behind her.

"This is officer Crowley, calling for backup. There's been another attack at the Palm Woods. Requesting immediate attention!" an officer shouted into the communicator on his shoulder. Mrs. Knight screamed, reaching out as if she could pull James from the fire. Logan sank to his knees, staring at the burning vehicle that was holding his friend. Katie had turned away, and Kendall was staring blankly at the flames.

Both he and Logan could see the blackened hand of James Diamond, sticking out of the fire.


	4. Game Over

**Author's Note: Thank you so very much for reading! I hope you enjoy the final chapter of Play With Me.**

**Also, if you would be so kind, try not to leave too many spoilers in your review (if you choose to review)! I wouldn't want future readers to have the surprise ruined!**

**With that said, here is chapter four~**

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><p>"Oh, God, Kendall - James was… JAMES!" Logan shouted, his hands flying up to his head. His hands tugged at his hair, and he fought desperately against the tears welling up in his eyes. Kendall gripped Logan's shoulder, but whether it was to comfort his friend or keep himself steady, he didn't know. The police officer that had called for backup was helping his partner pull Mrs. Knight away from the scene, and back into the lobby. Katie took her mothers' hand, knowing she needed something to hold on to.<p>

Loud sirens - a sound that had become all too familiar - neared the Palm Woods, but neither Logan nor Kendall moved. Once again, they stood and stared helplessly at their friends' body. James had to have died instantly. The only thing they'd heard from their friend was his cry of terror. That was the last thing they would ever hear from him. Just as Carlos' horrified expression would live forever in their memories, so would James' scream.

One of the officers that had led Mrs. Knight inside ran out, was sprinting to the edge of the street to flag over the other police cars, ambulance, and fire truck. The vehicles sped into the parking lot, surrounding the entire building. Other policemen leaped out of their cars, quickly getting to work on containing the area. Firemen rushed to get the hose attached to one of the fire hydrants, and the flames were soon reduced to nothing.

Kendall and Logan could clearly see James' roasted body. The skin he worked so hard to perfect was charred and ugly, and the hair he'd kept neatly trimmed and full of volume was gone. There was next to nothing left of James Diamond.

"What… what are we gonna do?" Logan questioned, exasperated. His eyes didn't leave James' body, and he wasn't completely aware he'd even spoken. He wanted to shut down. His girlfriend, and two of his best friends were dead. The police obviously didn't have a clue who was behind the murders, and it didn't seem like they'd be arresting any suspects soon - not unless, by some miracle, the killer managed to slip up this time.

"I don't know, Logan. I- I honestly don't know." Kendall stuttered, trying to figure out an answer for himself. His face held confusion, and he was thinking hard about something from what Logan could see. Before he could ask what Kendall was thinking, there was a shout from inside. The boys exchanged quick glances, then ran back into the lobby. Mrs. Knight was sitting on the couch with Katie, staring at the source of the shout. Logan stopped beside the two, with Kendall right behind him. They both looked on as the man who shouted came into view.

It was Jo's father.

"Oh, God…" Mrs. Knight breathed, loud enough for Kendall, Katie, and Logan to hear. All of them could see the blood on Mr. Taylor's hands, and the stains on his shirt. His face was red, and even from the distance they were at, the veins in Mr. Taylor's neck were visible.

"Someone broke in! They _KILLED_ her!" Mr. Taylor roared, clenching his fists. Mrs. Knight, Katie, and Logan immediately stole peeks at Kendall. They all knew who Mr. Taylor was referring to, and they all knew that Kendall's reaction would be something to fear. After losing a second friend, Kendall was bound to do something rash.

Kendall was turned away from them, one hand on his hip, the other on his head. He pushed his hair back, his teeth gritted together. As the policemen ran upstairs with Jo's father, the remaining men left to finish taping off the hotel. Passing cars were slowing down to see what had happened, and a small crowd was gathering. Imagining the stares of the people infuriated Kendall. Everyone would stare, but no one would do anything. There was nothing that _could_ be done. James and Carlos were dead. Jo was dead.

Logan watched Kendall carefully, knowing exactly what he had to be feeling. They'd both lost some of the most important people to them. The only thing that differed was their attitudes. Logan wasn't like Kendall by any means. He understood, but there was only so much help that empathy offered. Finally, Kendall wheeled around, his nostrils flared, and his eyes filled with rage. He glared first at Katie, then his mother, then Logan. Mrs. Knight tried to say something, but Kendall's trembling fist slammed into the drywall, creating a harsh dent.

"Fuck this…" Kendall groaned, the pain obvious in his tone. He shook his head, walking towards the doors. He paid no mind to his mother as she called after him, and for the second time that night, he ran off. Logan stood, wanting to chase his friend down and stop him. He was worried. He'd already lost James and Carlos. If Kendall got himself killed, he wouldn't know what to do.

Only then did it really hit Logan. Two of his best friends were dead. They would never say anything to him again. They would never be there when he woke up anymore. There wouldn't be reckless behavior, child-like antics, or vanity to joke about. James and Carlos were really gone, and they weren't coming back. Logan couldn't move. He stood still for a long few moments, his hand slowly rising to his face. He covered his forehead, trying to grasp the sudden realization.

"Logan? What are you doing?" Mrs. Knight demanded, seeing Logan slowly stepping towards the door. The concern in her voice had him scared for his own safety. He was doing his best not to tremble with fear. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he faced Mrs. Knight, knowing the color had to be gone from his face. Upon seeing this, Mrs. Knight froze. "No. Logan - No, I can't. You're not going out there. I'll get one of the officers to bring him home! You can't go out ther-" Logan shook his head, his stare hard.

"They don't know where Kendall would go!" he protested, desperately trying to convince Kendall's mother that he had to be the one to go after her son. "I know the exact places Kendall would run to. I can find him! I can find him and get him home safely." Logan reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone and holding it up. "I'll text you every step of the way so you don't worry. I'll call if you want! I just have to get him before something happens."

Mrs. Knight bit her lip, knowing Logan had a point. She didn't want to let him go alone, but he knew better than anyone where Kendall would be, and he knew how to take care of himself. Even so, there was a killer on the loose, and it had already taken James and Carlos. Trying to decide, she searched Logan's face for any doubt or fear. If his heart wasn't completely in it, she wouldn't let him leave. However, she saw nothing in his eyes but determination.

"You text me as often as you can. I don't care if it's just a single letter when you get a red light. Let me know you're okay. If I call, you answer immediately. Pull over if you have to." Mrs. Knight commanded. Her voice was tired, but she managed to keep her orders stern. Katie sat beside her quietly, watching Logan and her mother compromise. She closed her eyes after a moment, not completely sure where Kendall would be. She had her own ideas, but wasn't sure.

"I will, Mrs. Knight, I promise!" Logan exclaimed, shouting over his shoulder as he sprinted outside. He jogged out to the parking lot, and his eyes scanned the rows of cars. When he spotted his, he noticed the convertible Gustavo had bought for them wasn't in its' space.

_Kendall._ Logan thought, frowning. He knew Kendall had to have used the spare key they kept in the glove compartment. That meant Kendall at least had the speed of a car to escape danger. However, that also meant there was a chance Logan would have to search harder for his friend. If Kendall wasn't in the places Logan assumed he would be, then he would more than likely drive as far as possible.

Shaking his head, Logan abandoned his original plan and sprinted to the bus stop at the edge of the street. He'd sit on the bus and go around each of Kendall's favorite spots in L.A, and if the car wasn't there, then he would move on to the next destination.

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><p><strong>Minutes<strong> dragged on, and Logan was constantly texting Mrs. Knight to fill her in on his whereabouts. Eventually, the minutes turned into an hour, and Logan still couldn't find Kendall. He'd waited on the first bus for a while, passing two of Kendall's favorite ice rinks, and once he got on a different bus, he passed small parks and diners Kendall liked to visit. Nothing.

Not one trace of him.

Logan didn't want to quit, though. He wouldn't until he was sure that Kendall was back in apartment 2J.

Once the bus pulled to a stop, Logan jumped up, leaving the bus and deciding to wait for the next one. He could see the drivers' annoyance with him, but didn't necessarily care. His focus was on finding Kendall. As Logan stood by the bench, he checked out his surroundings, noticing how familiar it all was. While trying to place what was familiar about it, he began pacing. Only when he turned did he realize why it was so familiar. A broad grin stretched across his face - he was directly down the street from Rocque Records, and he could just barely see the convertible.

"Kendall!" Logan breathed, running down the sidewalk to Rocque Records. He'd never felt more relieved to see the building! Pausing to catch his breath, Logan pushed the front doors open, seeing that half of the hallway lights were turned off. He knew Gustavo and Kelly would occasionally work late, but he figured they would've kept the entire building lit. Logan was too relieved to know Kendall was here to think anything could've been wrong. Not until he opened the door to the studio. "Gustavo? Kelly? Where's Kenda-"

Logan choked on his words, stumbling back when he saw what lay on the other side of the door. Gustavo's headphones were on the ground, only a foot away from Kelly's clipboard. Her hand was resting on top of it, and she lay face-up with her eyes wide open. A long, deep gash ran across her throat, and it was still bleeding. Gustavo's back was to Logan, but he could still see the blood around him. Trembling, Logan neared the bodies, getting a better look at Gustavo and seeing his throat was cut open just as Kelly's was.

Feeling the bile rise in his throat, Logan fled. He ran down the hallway, pulling out his phone and attempting to call Mrs. Knight. There was an unread message from her, but there wasn't time for texting.

"LOGAN!"

The cry echoed in the hallway, and Logan immediately stopped. That voice was Kendall's, and it sounded scared. Hurt.

Kendall was alive. He was somewhere in the building, and from the sound of it, he needed help.

Logan couldn't piece his thoughts together fast enough. Just moments ago, he'd been beyond relieved that he found Kendall. Now, he was panicking. Gustavo and Kelly were dead, meaning the Palm Woods killer had to have followed Kendall. Logan's thoughts raced at the idea, and suddenly, the murders didn't seem so random. Someone was killing off everyone close to the members of Big Time Rush, and then the members themselves. That had to be what was happening!

Shoving the thoughts from his head, Logan ran through the partially lit hallways, returning his focus to his phone call as he did so. He'd hit the 'end' button upon hearing Kendall's voice, but now he wanted Mrs. Knight's help more than anything. The phone rang three times before Mrs. Knight answered, and Logan panted, trying to figure out what information needed to come first.

"Mama Knight, I'm- I'm at Rocque Records! I need-" Logan finished the sentence, but halfway through, he realized that the other line had gone silent. Standing in the middle of the hall, Logan slowly moved his phone away from his ear, looking at the screen to see that the call was dropped. The words 'no service' were displayed in the middle of his screen, and Logan felt his heart sink. "No… No, no, no! FUCK!" Logan threw his phone against the wall, on the verge of tears. He opened his mouth to scream, but something in his peripheral vision caught his eye.

Something had moved.

Logan gulped, his mouth instantly drying up.

"K-Kendall?" he called out weakly, inching his way forward. Logan only took three steps before there was a loud surge, and all of the lights went out. His breath came out struggled, and Logan bit down on his lip to keep from screaming. Everything was pitch black. Feeling along the wall, Logan kept his body against it, fearing that whoever killed Gustavo and Kelly was lurking through the halls. He trembled as he took his sluggish steps forward, doing his best not to whimper.

Never before had Logan felt such a strong fear. He almost regretted insisting on looking for Kendall. However, Kendall was _near_. Logan needed just one shout from him. Then he would find his friend, and the two would escape. Only when he realized Kendall had been quiet did he think what that could've meant. Logan had to bite down on his hand to keep from yelling. Kendall had to stay alive. There was no way he would lose another friend.

Just as Logan was calming down, there was a small click, and the lights ahead of him came back on. They flickered, and dimly lit the corner he had neared, but they were still on. Logan breathed a sigh of small relief, still moving slowly. He peered around the corner, feeling a stronger wave of relief washing over him when he discovered no one was there. The only person he wanted to see was Kendall, but the fear of running into the killer continued to push itself in front of all other thoughts.

"Logan!" Kendall cried again, this time sounding worried. Logan gasped, his eyes widening. Kendall's voice wasn't too far away. He picked up his pace, ready to run in the direction he heard his friend, until he saw another figure step into the hallway. It was a good yard away from him, and it wore nothing but black. Covering its' face was a doll mask - something Logan knew to belong to Camille.

That wasn't what horrified Logan however. The mask didn't bother him at all. Neither did the bloodied knife the figure carried.

"No…" Logan whispered, sinking to his knees. He couldn't keep himself standing. He wasn't strong enough for this. "I thought - We're _friends_…"

What had Logan petrified, was the all too familiar blonde hair the figure had.

Kendall dropped the knife, staring at Logan. The boys faced off for a long while, neither making a sound. Finally, Kendall removed the mask, throwing it on the ground. His eyes focused on Logan, and they were the same eyes Logan was used to seeing. There was nothing sinister in them at all. Suddenly, Logan had another realization. He swallowed hard upon registering the thoughts, knowing what was coming.

Kendall wasn't acting alone.

There were _two_ killers.

"I should've… I should've figured that out." Logan whined, his voice cracking. He was going to die. There was no way out of it. Not unless Kendall felt pity, and decided to spare him. That would never happen though. Logan was there at the center of it. He knew too much now. He couldn't live with the knowledge. "Two types of killing… Consistent and - and inconsistent. _Two killers_."

Kendall didn't respond. His eyes darted away, and Logan knew it was over. Kendall whirled around, running away from his friend. As if on cue, Logan felt the prick in his neck. His spine began to tingle and he rapidly lost feeling in his arms. He could barely turn his head to see who was going to kill him. It didn't matter though. He knew, even before he saw.

Logan felt the cold metal of the gun in his hands. The second figure was manipulating his hands around it, and he squeezed his eyes shut. His finger was on the trigger, and the figure was moving his hands up so the gun pressed against Logan's temple. He heard the click of the hammer, the loud bang, and nothing more.

* * *

><p><strong>Outside<strong>, Kendall sat in the convertible. He pulled off his gloves, rubbing his face and trying to pull himself together. Logan was dead. He knew it the moment he heard the gun firing. Inhaling deeply, he counted to five before exhaling. Continuing the steady breaths, Kendall ignored the sounds of the passenger door opening and closing.

"Who'd you get?" Kendall demanded, not wasting a moment. The figure removed the clown mask it wore, snickering.

"Logan, Carlos, James, Jo, and Jennifer." the figure answered. They sat quietly, waiting for Kendall's response. His hands gripped the steering wheel, and after a second, he shrugged.

"I got the other two Jennifers, Camille, Gustavo, and Kelly." Kendall replied, a small grin stretching across his face. "We both got five. Looks like a tie." He chuckled, reaching over to pull down his seatbelt. As his hand gripped the belt, he heard his partners' swift movements, but before he could look to see what was going on, he saw the needle. The figure stuck his neck with it, emptying the contents of the syringe into him. Kendall was suddenly aware of what Logan had to have felt in his final moments. Paralyzation was taking over him.

"I play to win." the figure stated, leaning over him. Kendall stared into the eyes of the figure, shaking his head and chuckling once more. The paralyzation was creeping up his neck, and he could feel his mind becoming hazy. He only had one more thing to say before the poison left him immobile and mute.

"Well played, Baby Sister." Kendall claimed, closing his eyes. "Well played."

Katie Knight watched the etorphine take over her brother. He wouldn't feel a thing. Working quickly, she took his hand in her own, just as she had with Logan. Taking one of the knives from his belt, she tucked it in his hand, folding his fingers around it to make it look like he was intentionally holding the weapon. Bracing herself for what she was about to do, Katie took a deep breath, clenching her teeth before ramming the knife into her side. She yelped, feeling the searing pain throughout her body. Yanking the knife out, Katie lifted Kendall's arm, placing the knife at just the right angle on his neck before sliding it over his jugular, and slitting his throat open. The blood oozed out faster than she expected, and she instantly pulled her hands away.

Logan and Kendall had to look like they committed suicide. They were the ones Katie would name as the killers. She would be the survivor.

"_We need to raise the stakes." Katie stated, facing her brother. Kendall rolled his eyes._

"_What do you suggest then? The only thing more intense than gaming is actually killing someone, and you couldn't kill anything if your life depended on it." Kendall retorted cockily, folding his arms over his chest. His sister shoved him back, jumping up to her feet._

"_You wanna bet? I could kill more people than you could. You definitely couldn't kill anyone. You're too soft." Katie jeered, knowing that teasing would blind her brother to everything else. Kendall Knight wasn't one to stand by and be taunted. He proved himself._

Katie held her hand against her wound, jumping out of the car. She staggered over to the sidewalk, wincing whenever her wound began to sting and sear with more pain.

"_How long are we gonna keep this up, Kendall? The police are everywhere."_

"_I'll give it a week. That's all the time we have. And whoever gets more kills: wins. I've already got two."_

By now, Katie knew her mother had to have called the police. She had to have noticed that Katie's room was destroyed, and her window was open. Knowing her mother, she would assume Katie was kidnapped, and call the police again and again until something was done.

_There were rules to the game Katie and Kendall started. They couldn't sabotage one another, and if cover was needed, they would serve as each others' alibi. Kendall made sure Mrs. Knight didn't check on Katie while she called Carlos' parents. Katie had her chance to kill, and she took it._

_When her hour was up, Kendall left to work on his own kills. He'd caught Katie in the bushes upon returning, and finding James in the police car, but he couldn't sabotage her kill. He had to ignore it._

As expected, Katie heard the police sirens wailing in the distance, coming closer and closer. She stopped at the doors of Rocque Records, falling before them as if she had fainted. The wound to her side wasn't serious. She would live, and tell the tale. Kendall and Logan kidnapped her from her room, and took her to Rocque Records. They spoke nothing but insane nonsense, and tried to kill her. She fought back, and after Logan killed himself, Katie was chased down and stabbed. Kendall assumed she was dead, but she lie on the pavement, watching as her brother took his own life. The two boys lost their minds, more than likely because of all the Hollywood pressures, and no one would question her about it.

No one would say no to Katie's doe eyes.

No one would ever know.

Katie closed her eyes, wiping the smile from her face when she heard the police cars screeching tires. Before completely getting herself into character as the victim, however, she stole one final grin of triumph.

"Game over."

_**Violent games, Logan had said, lead to violent behaviors.**_


End file.
